Ditching-machine.



Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

2 SHBETSSHBET l.

Inventor Attorneys A we A. R. STRONG.

DITOHING MACHINE APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 15, 1912 1,090,247.

COLUMBIA .PLANOGRAM c0., wumm'romu.

L 21: .mqdlnflnill mm \W Q Q Q \N Witnesses A. R. STRONG.

DITOHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rum) JUNE 15, 1912.

1,090,247. Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

' 2 SHEETS-"SHEET Z.

a Q m q x w m Q m 5* V k g g m Witnesses Attorneys COLUMBIA IMNOGRAPII co.. WASHINGTON, b. c.

STTES FATE ()FFTCE.

DITCHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1'7, 191 1.

Application filed June 15, 1912. Serial No. 703,961.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, AREA R. S'rnor'o, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leesville. in the parish of Vernon and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Ditching-ltlachine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in ditching machines.

The. primary object of the invention is to provide a ditching machine, in which the tower that supports the digging and dirt carrying members may be rotated with respect to the supporting car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a. construction in which the carrying and digging members are supported for a vertical movement with respect to the tower, can participate in the movement of the tower with respect to the car, and are capable of a. transverse movement.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the cornbination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made with in the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side clcvatien. Fig. 2 is a transverse section. Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

In the drawings, 10 designates a car which may be of any suitable construction, said car during its digging and dirt receiving opera tion being drawn by a locomotive. Disposed centrally of. the car is a hollow post 11, this post being supported against movement. A supporting member It is rotatably supported by the upper terminal of the post, said supporting member supporting a plurality of sheaves 15 and 1.6 over which cables 17 and 18 pass. A gear 19 is disposed at the base of the post, the supporting arms 20 and 91 of the tower or derrick being sup ported on said gear, said arms being connected to the supporting member 1 1 by rods 21 which are connected to the arm adjacent the point where they are offset from their base portion. It will be noted by this con struction that as the gear 19 is rotated in a manner which will be hereinafter described, the arms 20 and 21 will be rotated, the supporting member 14 rotating with said arms 20 and 21. A bracket 95 is supported by the arm 20 and a bracket 26 by the arm 21, said brackets supporting sheaves 27 over which the cables 17 and 18 pass. The buckets 9.9 are secured to these cables, it being noted that said buckets may be raised and lowered by the manipulation of the cables 17 and 18. The gear 19 is rotated by the pinion 30. This pinion is mounted on a shaft 31, a pinion 32 being disposed on the lower end of said shaft, said pinion being rotated by the rack bar 33 formed on the plunger 84 which is disposed within the cylinder 35 of the air pump 36. It will thus be noted that when air is admitted to the cylinder 35, the plunger 34 will be actuated causing the rack bar formed on said plunger, to revolve the shaft 31 on which the pinion 30 is mounted. This movement of the pinion rotates the gear 19. the arms 20 and 21 and the supporting member 14L It will be noted by this construction that when it is desired to carry the machine through a tunnel, the excavating mechanism may be disposed longitudinally of the car. the machine when in this position, being of the same width as the remainder of the train. An arm 37 is disposed on either side of the car, said arm 37 being hingedly supported at the point 38 for vertical movement. This arm which consists of tho spaced members 39 and 10 forms a vertically movable guide for the chains -11 and 1-2 which are connected to the buckets 29. The terminals -13 of these chains are connected to sliding blocks 44C disposed between the members 39 and 10, said members being moved longitudinally of the arm to space the buckets 29 from the car, it being noted that the buckets may be moved to a position where the terminals of the chains are adjacent the outer ends of the arms allowing the buckets to dig at as great a distance from the car as the outer end of said arm. The arms 37 are connected by rods 13' with the forward end of the car, said rods having a pivotal connection with the car, whereby the arms may participate in their vertical movement. The arms 37 are connected by the short rods 14: with the car, said rods being capable of a swinging movement with the arms, and rods permitting the arms to move freely on their pivots.

A supporting member 45 is disposed adjacent to the front of the car, said supporting member consisting of the base portion 46 which is secured to the car, and the upstanding arms 47, the terminals 48 of which are offset. Rods 4:9 connect said offset ends with the outer terminals of the arms 37, these rods being pivotally connected at the points T8 so as to fold and swing when the arm 37 is raised. A cable 50 is secured to each of said arms at the point 51, said cable passing over a sheave The cables also pass over sheaves supported by the bars 5%. of the car, the cables being connected to a beam which is disposed longitudinally of the car. The cable from one of the vertically movable arms 3", is disposed on the rail on the side of the car which is remote from said arm, and the cable from the other vertically movable arm, is connected to the other of the longitudinal rails, the cable between the longitudinal rails passing over sheaves 56 and 57 which are mounted on the shaft 58. Said shaft is supported by the terminal 59 of the plunger 60 disposed within the cylinder 61. It will be noted that when steam is admitted to the cylinder 61, and the plunger reciprocated that the shaft 58 will be moved longitudinally of the car, shortening the cables and moving the arms 37 on their pivots, the terminals 42 of the blocks 44 sliding between the members which form said arms as the same are raised, the blocks traveling to a point on the arms adjacent the car.

The cables 17 and 18 which are connected to the buckets, or which When the machine is digging are connected to the plow or other tool, pass over the sheaves 15 and 16, thence through the hollow post 11 and over the sheave 62 which is supported by the bracket 63 on the under face of the platform 10 of the car. These cables pass over a sheave 64 disposed at the front end of the car, the cable winding on the drum 65 of the hoist ing engine 66. It will be noted that as the drum 65 is rotated to wind the cables on the same, the cables will be shortened and the buckets raised from their dirt receiving posit-ions. it will be noted that the buc rets are thus supported for movement with the arms 20 and 21 with respect to the car, and a vertical movement, independent of the supporting arm.

Attention is called to the fact that the vertically movable arms 87 form what may be termed drag bars for the buckets, it being noted that the chains which connect the said buckets to said drag bars are disposed for movement longitudinally of said bars, the connection between the buckets and drag bars being such that both may participate in a vertical movement.

The many advantages of a machine of this 60 chines and that the raising of the buckets, 65

which is accomplished by the cables is such that the buckets are supported for lateral movement without interfering with the lifting mechanism.

It will also be noted that the entire con struction is such as may be easily and economically manufactured and that the vari ous parts may be readily assembled.

W hat is claimed is:

A ditching machine including a car, op-

positely extending arms hingedly connected to the sides of the car and adapted to swing upwardly and downwardly relative thereto, each arm including spaced members, a supporting member fixedly mounted on the car,

a foldable connection between the upper portion of said supporting member and the outer end of each arm, said connection being hingedly attached to the arm and said supporting member and adapted to fold when the arm is swung upwardly, said connection being extensible to limit the downward movement of the arms, a block slidably mounted between the spaced members of each arm, a soil engaging element back of each arm, a connection between said element and the block, means for supporting the soil engaging element beyond one side of the car and back of its arm, and means for swinging the arms simultaneously upwardly,

the blocks thereon being movable by gravity between the members of the arms and to ward the sides of the car during the upward swinging movement of the arms, and means for rotating the supporting means of the soil engaging elements to positions over or bi yond the sides of the car.

in testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

R. L. POLLOOK, W. A. TILLCOX.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

